Plane



(Modem W. F. AOHENBAGH.

PLANE.

No. 810,163. Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

min/Z lzfe sp I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM F. AOHENBACH, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

PLANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,163, dated January6, 1885.

Application filed September 15, 1884. (Model) To all whom it mayconcern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. AOIIEN- BACH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of Reading, county of Berks, StateofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Planes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This improvement relates more particularly to carpenters bench-planes.

The object of the invention is to'place in the hands of wood-workers,joiners, and oth ers a plane which will dress smoothly crossgrained andknotty woods so finely that subsequent filling and scraping are renderedunnecessary. These results are attained by a very slight yet importantalteration of the mode of dressing the face of planes, as will beexplained further on.

Figure l is a perspective elevation of a smoothing-plane having myimprovement attached thereto. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section showingmore clearly the improvement. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the face of theplane, showing the improvement. Fig. 4: is a plan and sectional view ofthe plane-bit preferably used 'in the plane. In all of which- Arepresents the body of the plane; A, the mouth of the plane; A thethroat; B, the wedge; O, the bit; D, the usual cap for a dou ble bit; E,a metal plate sunk in the face of the plane in advance of themouth-opening; E, a plate sunk in the face of the plane in the rear ofthe mouth.

The improvement is applicable to both jack and fore planes, and it willbe found advantageous to apply it to the same; but it is particularlyadapted to the smoothingplane for finishing off veneers or any fine workin hard or soft woods. The usual custom is to smooth off as well as ispracticable with the plane, then to use the scraper to finish up,supplementing the latter by a wood filling and a rubbing down withpumice-stone. With myimprovement in the construction of the planefacethis is unnecessary, as a simple sandpapering after the plane leaves thework ready for varnishing. I

The result of the improvement is that much more work can be done in agiven time, and when done is of a superior character to all workhitherto produced by the use of the plane alone.

The construction of the plane is as follows, the description applyingmore particularly to a smoothing-plane, as shown: It will be seen thatthe elevation, as in Fig. 1, makes no disclosure of any change in theconstruction of the plane. The longitudinal section and the plan, Figs.2 and 3, show metallic plates inserted permanently in the face of theplane. The plates are about onehalf inch wide, and about one-fourth ofaninch short of the width of the plane at the point of insertion, leaving,when inserted, about one-eighth of an inch of wood standing at each endof the metallic plate. The plates may be about' one-eighth of an inchthick, and they are secured in place by countersunk-screws.

The plates having been placed as shown, one,

E, with its edge coincident with the front edgeof the mouth of theplane, and the other placed at about one-third of the length of theplane from its rear end, I dress the face of the plane, and metallicplate included, from the mouthedge of the plate to the fore end of theplane, so that the fore end shall be about one-thirtieth of an inchlower than the mouth-edge of the plate, the face of the plane beingreversed upon the bench. The space between the plates E and E may belevel, but I prefer to have it slightly hollow-say about onesixty-fourth of an incl1and from the rear plate, E, to the end of theplane I again drop the face, the plane-face being reversed to aboutone-thirtieth of an inch at the rear end below the level of the plate E,the straight edge in both cases resting upon the inner edges of theplates E and E.

For fore or jack planes the same depression of the face from the frontand rear plates is maintained, but the space between the front and rearplates is kept at a dead level, and one or more intermediate platesinserted to insure uniformity of wear.

The use of the plates not only serves to maintain certain fixed pointsupon the face of the plane, but also serves to reduce the friction ofthe plane in operating the same.

Although an ordinary double-bitted planeiron may be used in a planeconstructed in accordance with my improvement, yet I find a plane-ironof a parallel thickness for the length of the cap to give betterresults. A. parallel bit, as it wears and is thrust forward ICO - beingdone.

through the mouth of the plane, causes no change in the distance leftbetween its face and the edge of the plate, while thethrusting forwardof the usual tapered thickness bit as it wears away gradually enlargesthe opening of the mouth, and will not permit of fine work The plate Eat themouth should be so set relative to the bit 0 that the space leftfor the passage of the shavings should limit the thickness of the sameto suit the character of work to be performed, and the plate E in allcases at about one-third of the length of the plane from its rear end,this plate marking that point upon the plane which I find from practicaluse to be that which is best adapted to give relief to the user inhandling the same, and indicating by its position that portion of theplane-face lying between plates E E, which is to be retained at or neara dead level, as-already described. As the plane-face loses its originalform from use, it must be renewed, which I find is best performed byrubbing down with a block of hard wood covered with fine flintsandpaper. For hardwood veneers, &c., a clearance at front and rear (thestraight edge resting upon the inner edges of the plates E E) of aboutonethirtieth of an inch will be ample. For soft woods the clearance maybe increased to onetwentieth of an inch.

In grinding up and sharpening the bit it should curve very moderately inits width, and should project very slightly above the face of themouth-iron E. The slight elevation of the edge of the plate above thefore end of the plane gives the planebit a bite upon the wood with theslightest protrusion ofv the same.

In the use of a plane whose face is dressed in accordance with myimprovement the epcrater will find that less exertion is required andmore work is performed, from the fact that there is nothing to interferewith the bite of the bit upon the wood, whereas, with the ordinaryplane, the face being a dead level from end to end, the bit must beprojected beyond the face to a much greater extent to cut down the samedepth of surface, and, owing to this greater protrusion of the bit thereis more liability to catch and tear away the material when knots orcross grain intervenes, thus leaving the surface in a much roughercondition.

Having described my improvement and shown its construction and use, Idesire to secure by Letters Patent the following claims thereon 1.. Asan improved article of manufacture, a carpenters benclrplane providedwith inserted metallic plates suitably secured in the face thereof, one,E, at and forming the fore edge of the mouth of the plane, and one, E,at about one-third of the length of the plane from the rear end of thesame, and dressing the fore and rear faces of the plane from said platesE and E, as described, in combination with the plane A, wedge B. bit 0,and cap I), as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, with carpenters fore, jack,and smoothing planes,having their faces dressed as described, the platesE and E, with one ormore plates intermediate thereto, recessed in said plane-faces,andsuitably secured therein, substantially as shown, and for the purposeset forth.

VILLIAM F. AOHENBACH.

\Vitncsses:

TnoMAs P. LINSEY, F. Irnnon I'IUMMI-IL.

